Argentina Faces World Cup Debutant Jordan in Final Group Match

Argentina Can Conserve Energy

Lionel Messi may also be rested. The 39-year-old global star, "um Weltstar Lionel Messi" kreist die Berichterstattung, "könnte gegen den WM-Debütanten pausieren." There has been no confirmation from the coaching staff so far.

For Jordan, the match is meaningless in sporting terms: the World Cup newcomer, "der keine Chance mehr auf den Aufstieg hat," has already been eliminated as group runner-up. "Selbst bei einem Sensationserfolg bei der Fußball-WM 2026 gegen den Titelverteidiger … steht der letzte Platz fest." Coach Jamal Sellami's team already knows that "ihre erste Weltmeisterschaft nach der Vorrunde endet."

Jordan Without a Chance but Engaged

Despite the hopeless situation, Jordan has so far "engagiert" performed, according to the coverage. The team is making its World Cup debut and gaining international experience on the big stage.

Running parallel to the duel between Argentina and Jordan is the decisive match for second place in Group J: Austria faces Algeria at the same time. "Zeitgleich mit dem Duell zwischen Österreich und Algerien um Platz zwei in der Gruppe J," KURIER writes. Austria had previously beaten Jordan 1:3.

In Parallel: Austria vs. Algeria

In another group, Belgium had earlier sealed first place with a 5:1 win over New Zealand. "Belgien stürmte mit 5:1 gegen Neuseeland zum Gruppensieg." That match, however, had no direct impact on the standings in Argentina's group.

The outlook for the final group match is therefore clearly defined: Argentina can play with freedom and conserve energy for the round of 16, while Jordan gets the chance to test itself against a defending champion. The match promises excitement mainly because of the question of which lineup Scaloni will field — and whether Messi will be on the pitch.

KURIER will cover the match live in the ticker from 04:00 CEST; the game will be broadcast on ServusTV.